The reason NASA still uses bombers since World War II

The US Aeronautics Agency (NASA) is still using three British bombers from 1944, the aircraft model has the advantage of flying high and flying fast at that time.

According to the BBC, British Air Force planners (existed from 1918-1964, then merged with the Ministry of Defense) did not expect the Canberra aircraft to continue to be used more than 70 years later, in the room. NASA flight science experiment and many US government agencies.

Canberra aircraft used by NASA are the US version, called WB57 , built on the B57 model, under license from Martin aircraft manufacturer in the 1950s. Between 1953 and 1957, there were about 400 WB57 plane out furnace.

The Canberras that NASA currently uses are the last ones, about 33 years after the US Air Force stopped using them. Recently, they were photographed while flying in formation from the Houston base.

Three Canberra aircraft NASA is using.(Photo: NASA).

This is an aircraft belonging to the ASP Science Program, according to Charles Mallini, program manager for NASA's Canberra squadron.

"ASP is responsible for providing modern aircraft systems and promoting the use of satellite data , " he said.

The ability to fly high enables them to perform many different tasks, according to Mallini. Many of them are supporting NASA satellites, including calibration tests to help refine satellite measurements, test new sensors before they are launched into space and self-implement measurements from above to cross-check with satellite data on orbit. It is equipped with a wide range of scientific devices such as chemical gauges for atmospheres, particles in clouds, cosmic dust, soil moisture, sea ice altitude, Mallini said.

The first British Canberra bombers began to take off in 1950. It had a beautiful and graceful design, similar to a fighter jet at the time, with pilots and navigators sitting side by side. in the cockpit, while the bomber observes through the Perspex glass door at the tip of the plane This is an impressive design at the time, when Canberra was the first generation of jet aircraft. Engineers were still stuck with many high-speed flying issues like Canberra.

The Rolls-Royce Avon engine, later designed to increase the power of British supersonic fighters, is placed in an aerodynamic shell. Each thick wing has an engine. The wing span is approximately the same length, an odd detail in an aircraft built to be easy to control, reliable and high-speed. In 1957, a Canberra broke the record for the highest altitude, with 21,400 meters.

"Canberra has proven to be a good design right from the start," said David Keen, Royal Air Force Museum specialist Hendon.

"It is a bomber that flies very fast, and flies higher than any other bomber," Keen said.

Even Canberra was not designed to carry defensive guns like other bombers during World War II. It simply flew so fast that the enemy couldn't catch up.

"These are the advantages that make it quite long to use , " Keen said. "It can also be used to make reconnaissance aircraft very well."

Bombers tend to be designed to be easy to fly and stable, with the aim of precision bombing. These are also necessary features for reconnaissance missions.

Royal Air Force Canberra aircraft in the 1950s. (Photo: Wikipedia).

Initially, Canberra was equipped with high quality cameras to record an air defense base from above. It also has sensors for eavesdropping on electronic exchanges. After the Royal Air Force (RAF) removed the Canberra bombing version in 1972, it continued to be used for reconnaissance missions for three more decades, in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo, at Afghanistan in the early 2000s, 50 years after the first Canberra aircraft was used.

Thanks to these features, it still fits NASA's work.

"I love driving Canbeera scouting, especially when taking a survey photograph to map. I have done this work in the Gambia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Maldives and part of the Arab Emirates. unified, " said David Bruce. He was a former RAF commander who drove Canbeera reconnaissance version in the late 1960s, mainly in the airspace of the island nation of Malta in the Mediterranean.

NASA's current work is very similar to Bruce, although the shape of the plane is slightly different, a proof that Canbeera's design is very easy to change. NASA aircraft wings are nearly twice as long as the original, making it possible to retain altitude in thin air areas.

"The unique ability of the plane ceiling, range, maximum load and crew helped this model to overcome the challenges of time," Mallini said. Model ER-2 (based on U2 spy model) can fly higher, but cannot carry as many devices as Canberra. Global Hawk model (Global falcon) can fly four times longer but the payload is only a quarter.

"In fact, we are always looking for ways to upgrade the capabilities of aircraft, durability, communication systems and data collection. All three have recently been upgraded with autopilot, ejection seats. pilots, data collection and information systems, new satellite communications , " according to Mallini.

NASA still plans to continue using aircraft from World War II.(Photo: NASA).

Of the three NASA aircraft in use, a new one was repaired in 2013 after stopping flying in 1972. It took off again in August 2013, 41 years after its first flight. However, maintenance of these aircraft is not easy.

"Old parts are the biggest challenge for us, because many are no longer available or suppliers have long shut down," Mallini said.

"We had to pick up the old parts stored at Davis-Monthan Air Base, on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, even from aircraft museums across the country," Mallini explained.

"If a replacement unit cannot be found, the engineering team must design or procure replacement parts with similar functions. This poses many design difficulties for engineers. The fuel tanks, which have been removed, are installed several times to the point that they no longer fit, easily fall off while flying. "

The support team had to design a prototype and then add 100 new ones.